Supposed security issues on IE6 through IE11

I am running 64-bit IE11 (for Windows 7) on 64-bit Windows 7 SP1, and am running it all on a home LAN behind a router with no issues that I am aware of. I have recently read where there have recently been "security issues" in every IE version from 6 to 11, but that it was recently fixed. Is all of this true, and is there anything for this diehard IE user to be concerned about?

The reason I ask is that I have a friend who is now driving me absolutely crazy because I am still happily using the latest IE11 (for Windows 7). She says she herself has completely switched from IE to Firefox because of the "serious security issues" recently, and is pestering me to death to do the same, otherwise there are serious consequences awaiting me, or so she says. She says IE has not been fixed, but is there any validity or credibility to what she says?

Can anyone out there give me a fair and impartial assessment on this, please? She is a good friend of many years, but she has a habit of reading what she wants into something like this, and coming to her own non-technically trained opinions often based on half-truths, I fear this is another case where her blinders are keeping her from "seeing the forest for all of the trees in it." Is my IE11 hopelessly broken and a serious security risk that I should immediately stop using and replace? Is there an unbiased opinion on the subject out there, please?

I'll admit that IE does bug me sometimes, but I have used it since at least IE3 (maybe 2) and I have always liked it. What more can I say? Thanks.

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KB2964358 is listed as installed a week ago today, but that isn't good enough according to her, but MS "won't do the fix that is needed after that one." I will stick with this though, because I don't see any reason not to. <eye roll>

I'm not familiar with what you are referring to in your last sentence though, so can you tell me what is meant by "Enhanced Protected Mode" and tell me how to check for it, please?

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Makes no sense to me either, that's why I asked here. She says Department of Homeland Security is now supposedly advising EVERYONE to "stop using all versions of IE now for security reasons," but aren't they the same federal government who botched up that webpage last year that she is getting advice from?

Anyway, I will take a look at this "Enhanced Protected Mode" thing, but is this something that really needs to be done in all cases?

Have you visited the AskWoody.com site lately? Woody Leonard runs that site and he started this site a while back. It was originally called Woody's Lounge. Anyway, the AskWoody site is full of information about security problems with IE6 thru IE11 that your friend is telling you about. Woody himself has repeatedly recommended that people use some other browser besides MS Internet Explorer. Most often he recommends Firefox or Chrome. I like and have IE9 on my Win 7 machine, but right now it is and has been under attack so I'm using Firefox. All the details are there - www.askwoody.com. Check it out.

Have you visited the AskWoody.com site lately? Woody Leonard runs that site and he started this site a while back. It was originally called Woody's Lounge. Anyway, the AskWoody site is full of information about security problems with IE6 thru IE11 that your friend is telling you about. Woody himself has repeatedly recommended that people use some other browser besides MS Internet Explorer. Most often he recommends Firefox or Chrome. I like and have IE9 on my Win 7 machine, but right now it is and has been under attack so I'm using Firefox. All the details are there - www.askwoody.com. Check it out.

Woody does not say that we would be insecure from the vulnerability presented in this thread if we used IE 11. Once the patch was issued, Woody's concerns were about other, unpatched vulnerabilities.

All browsers have unpatched vulnerabilities at any given time. The OP's friend simply reads whatever she wants into any news story about "the IE security issue". I have a few fellow members of both Computer User Groups I attend who are just like her. No amount of tech reading or reality checking seems to convince such people that they are ever truly secure.

I would trust IE 10 or IE 11 as much as I would trust Firefox or Chrome/Chromium (Linux uses the open-source versions) in my Wndows or my Linux partitions on my laptop. I simply prefer the layout and functionality of Firefox and Chrome, as well as several Firefox Extensions, over IE. Just personal preference. Not security concerns.

Having safe browsing habits is much more important than your choice of browser:
1. Avoid sites known to harbor malware - porn and pirate music/software sites.
2. Never click on a url in an email. Open your browser and type the address in manually
3. Never click on unexpected popups. Fake virus detection warning and offers to fix PC performance pop ups are common. Close the pop up window by right clicking its instance on the taskbar or use Task Manager. To close it.
4. Keep your security software up to date.

I'ved used all 3 of the major browsers on a regular basis for years without issue - IE, Firefox, and Chrome.

Just to clarify - I like IE-9, and I might even like IE-10 when I think it's necessary to update to it. I'm not trying to tell anyone to not use IE if they want to. But in the past month there have been three attacks centered on IE starting with "Snowman", then "Heartbleed", etc. These two were patched I think. The latest one I didn't hear was patched. If it was then great. My intent was to give David some place to find "valid" info. on these IE threats. For more info. go to this site: http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft...xplorer-241467
This caused me to start using Firefox exclusively until an all clear was given for IE. This is the site that Woody referred us to, and appears to be one place where all the scares are coming from.